Big blow for Royal Challengers, leader of pace attack out of IPL

The South African quick has had multiple issues with his shoulder in the past

Dale Steyn's inclusion in the RCB lineup had boosted and rejuvenated the bowling arsenal of Royal Challengers but a shoulder inflammation has ruled him out of rest of the IPL season. It comes as a body blow for the Virat Kohli-led unit who need to win each of their remaining clashes to stake any claim for the playoff birth.

Steyn's average of 17.25 and a strike rate of 12 in a couple of matches is a testimony to the kind of impact he has had. Steyn would be heading back immediately to South Africa to recover in time for the World Cup.

He was drafted in the RCB line up after the Aussie quick Nathan Coulter-Nile picked up an injury early in the season. Remarkably Steyn went unsold during the IPL auction.

The unplayable inswinging yorker in the game against CSK to Suresh Raina was a reminder that the vintage fiery stuff is not yet out of the window. The recent fixture against Kings XI Punjab (KXIP) didn't feature Steyn but RCB still managed to pick up a win, thanks to AB de Villiers and Marcus Stoinis - who helped the team put a 200-plus total on board.

Earlier skipper Kohli had said that Steyn's shoulder niggle is a minor one and he would recover soon but apparently, the injury aggravated and Cricket South Africa seem to be in no mood to test the ropes as a World Cup starting May 30 looms on the sidelines. His experience also helped the likes of Navdeep Saini and Mohammad Siraj to express themselves, according to captain Virat Kohli.

The official statement from RCB read:

"Dale Steyn has been prescribed with ample rest due to inflammation in his shoulder. On account of the state of his health, Dale will not be available to take part further in the ongoing season of IPL. His presence has helped the team immensely and we are very thankful for the inspiration and passion that he brought to the squad," - Sanjeev Churiwala, Chairman of RCB.

RCB are trying their best to stay in the hunt and have won 4 out of the last 5 matches.

Bottom Line: Dale Steyn is South Africa's leading wicket-taker in Test matches with 439 scalps at an average of just under 23.